The present invention relates to an elevator panel having a surface plate and a corrugated reinforcing member joined to the surface plate. A known panel used to form the wall or door of an elevator includes a metal surface plate and a plurality of reinforcing steel members joined thereto. The surface plate and the reinforcing members are joined to each other by welding, with or without the aid of an adhesive.
If the surface plate and the reinforcing members are joined by welding, however, it is impossible to avoid distortion of the material in the welded joint. This distortion must be carefully removed to provide a flat and distortion-free surface which is required of a panel for an elevator. Moreover, much labor is required for smoothing the panel surface when an undercoat of paint is applied thereto. If welding with the aid of an adhesive is employed, it suffices to weld the surface plate and the reinforcing members at fewer places than when only welding is relied upon. This, however, brings about only some reduction in the work needed for removing distortion of the material by welding, and not the total elimination thereof.
The adhesive used for the purpose is typically a one-pack epoxy resin adhesive of the heat curing type or a two-pack epoxy resin adhesive of the room temperature curing type. For curing a one-pack epoxy resin adhesive, it is necessary to heat it at a high temperature of, for instance, 120.degree. C. to 200.degree. C. for about 10 to 40 minutes. A corresponding amount of heat energy and a satisfactory heating apparatus are required. A two-pack epoxy resin adhesive requires precise metering and mixing of its principal component and the curing agent. Once they have been mixed, the adhesive thereby prepared need be used within its pot life. It usually requires a period of as long as several hours to one day in order to obtain the intended strength at room temperature. As it is necessary provide heating in order to shorten the curing time, a corresponding amount of heat energy and an appropriate heating apparatus are required.
Although the elevator panel thus fabricated has a sufficiently high strength, it is still not satisfactory in soundproofing and vibration damping properties during the operation of the elevator. In order to improve its soundproofing and damping properties, it is necessary to apply a soundproofing paint onto the entire rear surface of the panel. An apparatus for applying a soundproofing paint and an oven for drying the paint are therefore required.